GENERAL ZOOLOGY

NAME: OLORUNTOBA Kunmilayo Zoe____ SCORE: _______________________

SECTION: __16A___________________________ DATE: _______________________

LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO.1 - MICROSCOPE

I. OBJECTIVES:
● To identify the parts of a compound microscope and relate them to their functions
● To compute for the total magnification provided by the compound microscope

II. DISCUSSION:

Zoology, branch of biology that studies the members of the

animal kingdom and animal life in general. It includes both the inquiry
into individual animals and their constituent parts, even to the molecular
level, and the inquiry into animal populations, entire faunas, and the
relationships of animals to each other, to plants, and to the nonliving
environment. Though this wide range of studies results in some isolation
of specialties within zoology, the conceptual integration in the
contemporary study of living things that has occurred in recent years
emphasizes the structural and functional unity of life rather than its
diversity.
In many ways, the advancements in Zoology are
directly correlated to the available technology. Many tools are
used in modern-day botany; however, the microscope has had a
large impact on all aspects of biology. Cells were first identified and named through the study of cork. Our
understanding of the cell and its components has increased as new technologies were developed.
Early microscopes were simple designs that relied on a single lens to magnify the object. These microscopes
provided limited magnification, approximately equal to what one might experience with a hand lens. The
compound light microscope is one of the most commonly used microscopes. A compound microscope sends a
beam of light through a thin section of a specimen and uses multiple lenses to enlarge the image. A series of
lenses is beneficial because the second lens compounds the magnification of the first. Most compound light
microscopes are used to magnify images up to 1,000×. Magnification beyond this limit causes a problem with
resolution. Magnification simply refers to the process of making an object appear larger. Resolution refers to the
ability of a lens to distinguish between two closely adjacent points. Beyond a certain point, increased
magnification does not result in increased resolution. Therefore, even though the image would increase in size,
objects would not become any clearer.
Although widely used, compound light microscopes are limited in their effectiveness. They rely on light
passing through a thin section of the specimen. These microscopes are not as useful for observing the surface of
intact, multicellular organisms. For those applications a stereomicroscope, also called a dissecting microscope, is
useful. Typical stereomicroscopes can magnify images from about 5× to 40×. Though the magnification is much
lower than that of a compound light microscope, stereomicroscopes are useful in other ways. Stereomicroscopes
are almost always binocular, having two eyepieces through which one observes the specimen. This enhances the
three-dimensional appearance of the specimen. Conversely, compound light microscopes provide a two-
dimensional view of an object. Student compound microscopes may be either monocular or binocular.
When higher magnification with high resolution is needed, light microscopes are insufficient. Instead, electron
microscopes can be used. Electron microscopes use a beam of electrons to form the image being magnified.
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Electrons allow for much higher resolution, and electron microscopes provide highly magnified images with
exceptional resolution.
A transmission electron microscope is analogous to a compound light microscope. It provides detailed
images of the internal structure of a specimen. The beam of electrons must pass through the specimen, so each
specimen must be carefully prepared and sliced with a diamond knife to generate extremely thin sections.
The scanning electron microscope provides detailed images of the surface of a three-dimensional object.
Electrons bounce off the surface of the specimen instead of passing through it; therefore, the specimen does not
need to be sliced and can be left intact. The primary advantage of a scanning electron microscope is the generation
of a highly detailed, clear image of a structure’s surface.
Although both types of electron microscopes have provided a wealth of information about cell structure, many
scientists still rely on the less-expensive and more-common light microscope. Throughout this semester, you will
be using light microscopes extensively to study plant anatomy and physiology. Typically, you will be using
compound microscopes; however, stereomicroscopes can be used to observe some of the larger structures. In this
lab, we examine both types of light microscopes and their uses.

Activity 1.1: Parts and Functions of the Compound Microscope

The compound microscope uses lenses and light to enlarge the image and is also called an optical
or light microscope (vs./ an electron microscope).The simplest optical microscope is the magnifying glass and is
good to about ten times (10X) magnification. The compound microscope has two systems of lenses for
greater magnification, 1) the ocular, or eyepiece lens that one looks into and 2) the objective lens, or the lens clo
sest to the object. Before purchasing or using a microscope, it is important to know the functions of each part.

Eyepiece Lens: the lens at the top that you look through. They are usually 10X or 15X power.
Tube: Connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses
Arm: Supports the tube and connects it to the base. It is used along with the base to carry the microscope
Base: The bottom of the microscope, used for support
Illuminator: A steady light source (110 volts) used in place of a mirror.
Stage: The flat platform where you place your slides.
Stage clips: hold the slides in place.
Revolving Nosepiece or Turret: This is the part that holds two or more objective lenses and can be rotat
ed to easily change power.

Objective Lenses: Usually you will find 3 or 4 objective lenses on a microscope. They almost always cons
ist of 4X, 10X, 40X and 100X powers. When coupled with a 10X (most common) eyepiece lens, we get total m
agnifications of 40X (4X times 10X), 100X, 400X and 1000X. The shortest lens is the lowest power, the
longest one is the lens with the greatest power. The high-power objective lenses are
retractable (i.e. 40XR). This means
that if they hit a slide, the end of the lens will push in (spring loaded) thereby protecting the lens and the slide.
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Rack Stop: This is an adjustment that determines how close the objective lens can get to the slide. It is set at
the factory and keeps students from cranking the high-power objective lens down into the slide and breaking
things.

Diaphragm or Iris:
Many microscopes have a rotating disk under the stage. This diaphragm has different sized holes and is used to
vary the intensity and size of the cone of light that is projected upward into the slide. There is
no set rule regarding which setting to use for a particular power. Rather, the setting is a function of the
transparency of the specimen, the degree of contrast you desire and the particular objective lens in use.

Coarse adjustment: This is used to focus the microscope. It is always used first, and it is used only with the
low power objective.

Fine adjustment: This is used to focus the microscope. It is used with the high power objective to bring the
specimen into better focus.

How to Focus Your Microscope:

The proper way to focus a microscope is to start with the lowest power
objective lens first and while looking from the side, crank the lens down as close to the specimen as possible
without touching it. Now, look through the eyepiece lens and focus upward only until the image is sharp. If you
can’t get it in focus, repeat the process again. Once the image is sharp with the low power lens, you should be
able to simply click in the next power lens and do minor adjustments with the fine adjustment knob. If your
microscope has a fine focus adjustment, turning it a bit should be all that’s necessary. Continue with subsequent
objective lenses and fine focus each time. Note: Both eyes should be open when viewing through the
microscope. This prevents eye fatigue, which occurs when the nonviewing eye is kept closed. Keeping both
eyes open does take some practice, but it is highly recommended. Also, you should never let your eye touch the
ocular lens. If your eyelashes touch the lens you are to close. Always remove eyeglasses when viewing through
a microscope. If your eyeglass lens touches the microscope it may get scratched.

Answer the following questions. “The more specific / direct to the point answers the better”
1. The important thing to remember as you turn the high power objective into place.
Answer: As you turn the high power objective into place remember that it is retractable so as not to break the
slide.
2. What should you always remember when you use the coarse adjustment?
Answer: The coarse adjustment knob should be used only with the low power objective lens.
3. Under what conditions would you adjust the diaphragm?
Answer: You should adjust the diaphragm only when there is too much or too little light getting to the specimen
and making the details difficult to see.
4. What should you always remember when handling microscope slides?
Answer: When handling the slides
 GENERAL ZOOLOGY

5. What is the purpose of the stage clips?

Answer: It is used to hold the slide in place and prevent it from falling off the stage.
6. In terms of your eyes, what should you try to learn as you use the microscope?
Answer: Learn to view the specimen through the microscope with both eyes open to prevent eye fatigue.
7. What are the two parts used to carry the microscope?
Answer: The Arm and the base.
8. What is the purpose of the coverslip?
Answer: The coverslip is used to keep specimen flat while being viewed through the microscope.
9. What is the objective lens used to locate the specimen and first focus?
Answer: The low power objective lens
10. What should you do if the high-power objective lens touches or breaks the coverslip?
Answer: Dispose the broken slide and replace it with a new one immediately and inform the instructor.

Complete the diagram below. Answer should be in CAPITAL LETTERS.

1 BODY TUBE
2. REVOLVING NOSE PIECE

3. OBJECTIVE LENS

4.LOW POWER LENS

5. HIGH POWER LENS

6.STAGE CLIPS

7. DIAPHRAGM

8.LENS

9.OCULAR LENS

10. ARM

11.STAGE

12. COARSE ADJUSTMENT KNOB

13. FINE ADJUSTMENT KNOB

14. BASE
 GENERAL ZOOLOGY

II. How Does a Microscope Magnify?

There are three lenses in the microscope. The top lens is called the eyepiece. It is the lens closest to the
eye. The other two lenses are called objectives. These are the lenses closest to the object. The object is on a
microscope slide. Different lenses magnify in different powers. The power of magnification is marked by a
number with an x next to it. A lens that magnifies ten times is marked 10x. If the eyepiece is marked 10x
and the objective 10x, then the total magnification is 100x. To find the total magnification of a microscope,
just multiply the two magnifications. Complete the table below by finding the total magnification for each
pair of lenses.
EYEPEICE OBJECTIVES LENS MAGNIFICATION
10X 10x 100x
10X 40x 400x
10X 44x 440x
5X 10x 50x
5X 40x 200x
 GENERAL ZOOLOGY

20X 10x 200x

III. Handling Microscope.

A microscope is a delicate instrument. Treat it carefully.
1. A student in the figure below is holding the microscope properly. Can you describe the right way to hold a
microscope? The microscope should be held using both
____hands by placing one at the arm of the microscope and the
Other at the Base
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

2. The boy is wondering what to use to clean the microscope lenses. The lens tissue has been treated to
prevent scratching. What should one use to clean? ____lens paper__________________ Why? _____to
prevent scratching of the lenses._____________________

3. The girl is focusing a slide and she is moving the stage up toward the slide.
a) What has happened to the slide?
_The slide is not properly placed on the stage____________________________________
b) Is this the proper way to focus?
______yes________________________________
c) Should you focus by moving stage up or down?
_____Yes___________________________________
d) What happens to a microscope if place at the edge?
___if placed at the edge the area to be viewed will not be visible___________________________________
e) What should you do to prevent this from happening.
_The area to be viewed should be placed in the scope of view of the
microscope._______________________________________
 GENERAL ZOOLOGY

Activity 1.2: Viewing an Object with the DIY Microscope

Materials:
■ Compound light microscope
■ Letter “e” slide
As you view your first slide under the DIY microscope, remember that the lenses in a DIY microscope invert
the image as they magnify it. This inversion of the image is due to the nature of light reflection by a lens.
1. Obtain a prepared slide of the letter “e” from magazines or newspaper.
2. Observe the letter “e” slide with your unaided eyes. Diagram what you see in the space below, and make note
of the orientation of the letter “e.”

Letter “e”
GENERAL ZOOLOGY